All posts by Jeff McArthur

When the summer comes, people drive out in droves to the local farm to pick their own fruit and vegetables, but with a little bit of know-how, you can actually grow your own indoor vegetable garden. It doesn’t matter how much room you have available, you can always fit in a few plants here and there. Here are a few tips on getting started on growing fresh produce inside.

First off, you should choose the areas in your home where you want to grow your indoor garden. Take a look around and see where there are windows that give sufficient direct sunlight if you have plant containers sitting by it. This can be as simple as your window sill but can also be an area where you will place hanging plants. Once in the container, you just need to remember to turn the container so that each side gets the same amount of sunlight. Most plants need about 6 to 8 hours of sunshine each day.

Herbs are probably the easiest plants to grow indoors because they do very well indoors. For beginners, a basil plant is your best bet. Once the basil grows, you can use it for pasta dishes, salads and more. Besides basil, mint also grows well. You can use it for iced beverages, desserts and more. These herbs are versatile and you can find many recipes on the internet for them.

There are many choices when it comes to vegetables that can be grown indoors. Garlic is very easily grown by planting a couple of cloves in the pot with the tip up. In only a week’s time, you’ll already see green shoots, which can be used in salads, soups, and meat dishes. Green onions can also be grown in a similar manner in a short amount of time if you prefer to grow these. Other vegetables you can try your hand at are spinach, butter head lettuce, arugula and parsley, which all grow well indoors. You can visit your local garden center to find specific vegetable seeds that are meant to grow in pots, like dwarf carrots and radishes.

Gardening indoors can be very environmentally friendly. Choose organic growing medium and fertilizer for your new indoor garden, and think about being environmentally responsible with regard to the pots as well. Recycling old containers for your indoor garden is great for the environment. Consider using four liter ice cream pails, big coffee canisters, unused plant containers that you can get from friends or neighbors and more. Use your imagination and have fun with it.